The Oka Kapassa Festival is a cultural and educational event; it is not planned as a pow-wow and does not follow pow-wow protocol. The Oka Kapassa Festival’s main purpose is to invite Native Americans to share their heritage through crafts, dance, demonstrations, storytelling, and music. The Festival Committee strives to bring the best and most knowledgeable people each year to display each aspect of Native American culture.
We receive our funding through grants and donations. A consultant group made up of Native Americans advises the committee. This Advisory Board is composed of participants from the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Alabama, and Coushatta tribes. No one on the committee or advisory board receives any financial compensation; all members volunteer their time and service. No admission fees are charged to the public for this event. No fee is charged to Native Americans for participation. Grants and donations help fund participants based on approval of arrangements by the committee.
Requirements for Native American participants:
- All Native American participants must be members of a federally recognized tribe and/or hold a CDIB card which certifies a minimum of one-fourth Indian descent.
- The spouse and children of participants are not required to hold a CDIB card, but the main person demonstrating or participating must have the above qualification.
- Participants must be approved in advance by the Festival Committee.
- The Oka Kapassa Festival Committee may occasionally invite a non-Native American demonstrator. These participants will be invited based on their knowledge and skills related to the Native American culture and ability to educate students and community members. The committee will limit these participants and they must be approved by the collaborative Native American Advisory Board and/or a letter of recommendation from the federally recognized tribe they represent.
- The Oka Kapassa Festival Committee is responsible only for participants invited and approved by the Committee. The Oka Kapassa Festival follows a scheduled event format to showcase invited dance groups and music.
These guidelines are formulated to maintain the integrity of the Oka Kapassa Festival and to ensure the cultural and educational goals set forth by the Committee and Native American Advisory Board.
Revisions to these Oka Kapassa Festival guidelines will be based upon the consent of the Oka Kapassa Festival Committee and Native American Advisory Board.